He criticised the reported emphasis on ensuring adequate liquor production during Dasara while farmers and households were struggling for water.
Hyderabad: Claiming the Congress govt has failed in handling a drought-like situation, power shortages and an irrigation crisis in Telangana , former minister T Harish Rao has said while there is a water shortage for drinking and irrigation purposes, govt is allocating water to liquor manufacturing units.
Harish Rao criticised the filing of non-bailable cases against 14 farmers who allegedly opened gates at Jurala to obtain water to save their drying crops.
He said the water use notices were reportedly issued to institutions such as BDL, BHEL and IIIT Hyderabad, and asked govt to explain its overall water management plan. Harish Rao said the power crisis was affecting irrigation, creating a chain of problems for farmers. This is the result of govt’s failure to plan,” he said.
He alleged that the administration lacked a clear strategy to protect farmers, agricultural labourers and rural livelihoods from the worsening drought-like conditions. He also questioned why govt had not entered into power purchase agreements in advance, as other states had done. He alleged that Telangana was now struggling to procure electricity even at high prices. “There is no coal, so power generation suffers. Without power, irrigation pumps cannot run. Without water, crops dry up.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Monday, Harish Rao said the state govt had failed to prepare for the impact of El Niño despite receiving warnings over the past nine months.